Washington, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed
legislation that would block critical protections against toxic
mercury emitted by cement plants. The chamber is expected to vote on a similar bill to block toxic mercury protections for industrial boilers next week. Cement plants and industrial boilers are
among the nation’s biggest and dirtiest sources of mercury pollution.

In response, Sierra Club
Executive Director Michael Brune issued the following statement:

“Members of the U.S. House Leadership have outdone themselves
again, with their continued, all-out assault on commonsense public
health protections.

“By passing H.R. 2681, the U.S. House has voted to allow cement plants,
some of the nation’s biggest, dirtiest sources of mercury pollution, to
continue spewing toxic mercury – a known brain poison that threatens the
development of young children – into our air and water without limits.

“These cement
plants exist in communities across the country, exposing Americans to toxic mercury
pollution and making commonsense pollution protections all the more important for the health
and well-being of American families.

“House Leadership
claims that the costs of the basic pollution protections that have served
Americans for four decades are too high, but their actions today will not
create more jobs or economic growth.
Instead, it will mean more children in the hospital, harder times for
families trying to make ends meet and billions of dollars in health bills for
American taxpayers.

“Now more than ever,
the American people need their members of Congress to stop the political
gamesmanship and work together to solve the nation’s problems.

“The Sierra Club
applauds President Obama for his vow to veto these dangerous bills that undermine public health protections. We urge Congress to reject these polluter-led
attacks on public health and focus on real solutions that grow the economy without
costing lives.”